Windmill



H; ZAHNOW.

WINDMILL.

APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 30,1919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

\ Fig. 7

Fig. 3

H. ZAHNOW.

WlNDMILL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, $919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

hail

HERMAN ZAI-INOW, or BALFOUR, NORTH DAKOTA.

WINDMILL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN ZAHNoW, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Balfour, in the'county ofMcHenry, State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Windmills; and i do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description 'of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in windmills, andparticularly to the type of vertical wheel windmills.

Cine object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improvedwindmill which will automatically collapse when the wind pressurebecomes too great so that racin'g will be prevented.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved structure of thischaracter; the wheels are normally side-by-side in the same plane and somounted that when the wind pressure becomes too great both wheels willswing rearwardly at opposite sides of the vane or tail.

A further object is to provide novel and improved means forautomatically restoring the wheels to a position toward the wind whenthe pressure has been reduced to the point of safety.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: v

Figure lis a front elevation of the windmill in normal running position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mill in the position of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the mill when the wheels have been swungbackwardly at the sides of the vane.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1, through the vertical standard and shaft.

Fin. 5 is a rear elevation of the windmill in the position of Fig. 1 thelower portion of the tower being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view takenon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 showing theconstruction of one of the brace arms.

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 ofFig. 2 showing the arrangement of the wheel supporting arms;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1919.

vZontal shaft 28,

Patented Aug. 10, 1920. Serial No. 307,824.

to the accompanying drewlngs, 10 represents a skeleton tower h usuallyprovided for windmills a d having the vertical tubular member 11disposed longitudinally theretl'lrough, which has the operating shaft 12disposed within it. in the upper end of this shar'; there is mounted thedouble-faced bevel pinion l3. Secured on the upper portion of the shaftand the member 11, at vertically spaced points, are the collars 14 and15, and carried by these collars and extending at right angles from the,tubular member, are the horizontal arms 16 and 17, the rear ends ofwhich carry the vane or tail 18 of the windmill. Rotatably engaged onthe member 11, above the lower collar 15, is a collar 19, and pivotallyconnected to this collar 19 is the bifurcated lower end of the brace arm20. Another collar 21 is loosely mountee on the member 11, above thecollar 19, and has the lower end of the other brace arm 22 pivotallyconnected thereto. The collar 14 acts as a stop collar to support thecollars 23 and 24 of the supporting arms 25 and 26 which extendhorizontally outwardly from the said collars. Loosely engaged on theupper end of the shaft 12, above the upper end of the tubular member 11,is a T-coupling 27. and engaged in the horizontal portion thereof is theinner end of the horithe outer end being rotatablv supported in bearingbracket 29 carried by the outer portion of the arm 26. The nner portionof the shaft 28 has fixed there to a pinion 29 which meshes with thetoothed upper face of the pinion 13. while the outer end is providedwith a bevel pinion 30 which meshes with a bevel pinion 31 carried bvthe hub 32 of the windwheel 33. This hub is supported on a shaft 34carried by and connected to the outer ends of the arms 20 and 26.Carried by the end portions of the arm 25 are the bearing brackets 35 inwhich is rotatably supported the shaft 36. The shaft has on its innerend a bevel pinion 37 which meshes with the lower toothed face of thepinion 13, while on the outer end there is mounted a bevel pinion 38meshing with the pinion 39 carried by the hub 40 of the other wheel 41.This hub 40 is supported on a shaft or axle 42 carried by the upper endsof the arms 22 and 25. Each of the hubs has the radial spokes 43 towhich are secured radial arms 44, and carried by these is a ring 45, theblades of the 7 tion of the tower cally wind up the "chain 48,

ally connected vmeans of the links 51, whereby, when the vlinks 51rearwardly 20.

wheel, shown at 46, being connected to this iii: and to the hub.

Mounted in the lower portion of the tower is a spring actuated drum 47,and secured to this drum, and wound thereon, is one end of a chain 48which extends upwardly over. a pulley 49, on the upper porwhere it issecured to a;

block 50 slidably mounted on the upper arm 16 of the tail or vane. Thisblock is pivotto the arms and 26 by wind pressure becomes too great forthe wheels the wheels and the arms 25 and 26 will be swung rearwardlytoward .the opposite sides of the tail or vane, and by reason of theconnection of the the block 50 will be pushed on the arm or rod 16, withthe result that the chain 48 will be pulled upwardly thereby and unwoundfrom the drum, against the tension of the spring. Thus the spring of thedrum is of a strength to hold the wheels in the face of a wind of acertain pressure, and when this pressure is exceeded. the spring willyield and permit the collapsing of the mill so that the wheels will notrace and be liable to damage or breakage. When the wind pressure isreduced to the safety point for the wheels, the spring drum willautomatipulling the block 50' inwardly toward the shaft 12, andrestoring the wheels to their operative position by the pushing actionof the links 51. A brace 52 extends from the upper arm 16 V to thetubular member 11 where it is connected to a collar 58 carried by androtatable with the'tubular member. Thus the various arms, the vane, andthe wheels are capable of swinging axially on the shaft 12,

tower supporting an upright tubular memher, a shaft rotatably mountedinthe latter, and a doublefaced beveled pinion on the shaft of collarson said shaft, horizontal arms and oblique braces projecting from saidcollars to both sides of the shaft,'wind wheels mounted in the outerends of said arms, shafts connected with them and leading inward andhaving beveled pinions meshlng with opposite faces of that mentioned,arms projecting to the rear from certain of said collars and carrying avane, a block slidably mounted on one of said arms, links pivotallyconnecting it with said lateral arms, and means drawing the blockforward and swinging the lateral arms into position to hold the wheelsnormally in a single plane, said means yieldunder excess wind-pressureto permit ing back into parallel the wheels to swing planes.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HERMAN ZAHNOW.

Witnesses:

O. E. HANSON, E. E. ScnMm.

